


How Community Actually Made a Gay Story Gayer by Making it Straight

by merely_indifferent



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: M/M, anyways here you go, i actually put a lot of work into this and i have literal college essays to write, this is an essay actually?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:01:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26506366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merely_indifferent/pseuds/merely_indifferent
Summary: This is not a fic.This is an essay on the queer implications of heterosexuality in a comp het narrative, and how Troy's relationships with women reveal his romantic love for Abed.
Relationships: Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir
Comments: 31
Kudos: 101





	How Community Actually Made a Gay Story Gayer by Making it Straight

**Author's Note:**

> I have an actual college essay to write but I did this instead.
> 
> I put a lot of love into this and it's a collection of ideas from other creators on tumblr with some of my own hot takes mixed in. 
> 
> Enjoy!

## Introduction

Affectionately dubbed “Trobed” by the fandom and the characters themselves, Troy and Abed’s deep love for each other is widely regarded to be the emotional backbone of the show. But despite the romantic undertones of their relationship, the show never explicitly drops the “b” from “bromance,” leaving it up to audience members to decide whether Troy and Abed’s relationship is indeed a romance, or just tragic queerbaiting. One prominent counterargument to Trobed’s existence is Troy and Britta’s romantic involvement spanning seasons three and four, which could easily have been the show’s attempt to cover up Troy and Abed’s obvious, yet perhaps accidental, attraction. However, by developing themes of compulsory heterosexuality first introduced in season one, Troy and Britta’s relationship (and Troy’s interaction with Abed while dating Britta), actually supports the narrative of a romance between Troy and Abed, cementing Trobed as Community’s greatest love story.

## Part One: Troy’s Compulsory Heterosexuality + Troy’s Relationship with Abed

Based on his conflicts with masculinity and compulsory heterosexuality, (and not to mention his repeated obsession with “butt stuff”), a gay narrative for Troy Barnes makes perfect sense within the context of the show, and adds more clarity to his character and inner conflicts. Troy’s struggle in season one with insecurity and toxic masculinity are all too familiar to many members of the Queer community. Troy, like many other gay men, feels outside pressure to conform to traditional masculine traits and therefore overcompensates, developing a narrative of compulsory heterosexuality from the perspective of a gay man.

Troy’s formative years were a world of hypermasculinity and heterosexuality. As the star quarterback, prom king, and resident popular jock at his high school, Troy felt constant pressure to live up to his archetype. Troy is also a Jehovah’s Witness, and likely grew up in a home that discouraged homosexuality and enforced traditional gender roles. Enough to give any young boy toxic ideas of masculinity, Troy’s adolescence as a repressed gay teen in a society of straight men caused Troy to develop hypermasculinity as a defense mechanism. For example, when Jeff says “Troy sneezes like a girl,” Troy is upset by appearing feminine and overreacts, threatening to “pound Jeff like a boy” to appear more masculine. Unfortunately, Troy only succeeds in making a gay innuendo and is embarassed by this, revealing that his insecurity in appearing feminine is truly just a fear of appearing gay (1x03). Another example is Troy’s fear of rats, which he denies, claiming he chooses “not to be around rats because they are unpopular” (1x10). Troy is trying to maintain a hard, masculine exterior, and attempts to deflect by once again referencing his popularity. Through his attachment to his letterman jacket, attention to athletics, references to his high school glory, and false arrogance, Troy constructs a persona he believes is proper for a man and attractive to women, to overcompensate for his true identity as a young gay man.

When Abed inserts himself into the equation, he flips Troy’s preconceived notions of masculinity, and gently forces Troy to embrace his own identity. Abed is a challenger to Troy’s careful facade, and Troy feels threatened by this. And it’s likely that Troy feels some level of attraction to Abed, which only exacerbates his anger and confusion. Troy knows that he and Abed are fundamentally the same; neither fit into a cishet, neurotypical society. And yet, they differ in their method of coping. While Troy rejects the uncomfortable parts of his identity, Abed owns them. Abed has“self esteem falling out of [his] butt,” whereas Troy is insecure (1x17). Abed also embraces femininity instead of shying away from it, calling himself the Phoebe to Annie’s Chandler and playing Kickpuncher’s female love interest (1x04, 1x15), but Abed still exudes the masculine strength and athleticism Troy tries so desperately to emulate (1x11). Abed shows Troy that a man can be confident yet humble, strong yet gentle, and comfortable in his masculinity. Abed therefore represents the opposite of compulsory heterosexuality, and the one thing Troy needs most: queer acceptance.

Abed’s influence is what ultimately guides Troy towards his own acceptance. After the one-two Trobed punch that is episodes 10 and 11 of season one, Troy begins to embrace his sensitivity and interests. He shares his love of dance with the group, revealing a new comfort with femininity and trust (1x14). A particularly heartwarming example of Troy’s developing self-acceptance is in Communication Studies, when Troy declares it’s his “manly duty” to wear a ladies pantsuit to the school dance in order to protect Annie and Shirley from Chang’s wrath. Troy is discovering new, healthier ways to be masculine, and he’s realizing he does not have to be a hyper-heterosexual jock in order to be a strong, confident man. As Troy’s toxic masculinity and compulsory heterosexuality break down, he allows himself to grow closer to Abed. They share a lot of off-screen quality time during the semester break and in Abed’s dorm watching movies, and the end tags show Troy and Abed reenacting Kickpuncher and Bert and Ernie, meaning Troy is embracing his own interests instead of rejecting them as “nerdy” (1x15, 1x17). Troy also becomes more emotionally vulnerable in front of Abed, shown by the end tag where Troy falls asleep to Abed’s voice, allows Abed to gently tuck him in, and then asks for a glass of water (1x11). Where this kind of softness would have been shunned by an earlier Troy, he now feels comfortable enough to let his guard down with Abed. Troy is letting go of his hard, masculine persona and growing into his own self-acceptance, and since Abed was the first one to coax out Troy’s true identity, it’s only natural that Abed is the one Troy trusts the most with himself.

As the two grow closer, Troy and Abed’s relationship naturally progresses into something more romantic, since Troy is less gripped by comp het, and therefore allows himself to act on his attraction to Abed. Annie’s anecdote about Troy mistaking her for Abed and reaching for her hand implies that Troy and Abed hold hands so often that to Troy, holding Abed’s hand is second nature (1x15). They’re shown wearing each other’s clothes in a late-season end tag, a common trope for romantic relationships (1x21). Troy even refers to Abed as his “other half,” and Jeff refers to Troy as Abed’s “girlfriend” without any denial from Troy (1x15, 1x23). This demonstrates a huge amount of growth for Troy. He began the season as a repressed gay teen, afraid of vulnerability and afraid of himself. Early-season-one Troy rejected anything outside of traditional, masculine, heterosexuality and wore arrogance as a mask for his insecurity. By the latter half of season one Troy is genuinely strong and confident, and he bares his true emotions to his friends. Furthermore, Troy lets himself explore his sexuality and feelings for Abed and doesn’t shy away from homosexuality, marking the beginning of a truly beautiful romance.

Troy still has a long way to go towards complete self-acceptance. In the very same episode where Troy calls Abed his other half and later films a sex scene with Abed for their Kickpuncher remake, Troy falls victim to compulsory heterosexuality when Jeff and Britta quite literally compel Troy into heterosexuality by talking him into hitting on Annie. But in an encouraging display of character development, Troy doesn’t leap to deny his closeness with Abed later that episode when Shirley comments on his and Abed’s “weird little relationship” (1x15). Romantic Expressionism juxtaposes Abed with Troy’s compulsory heterosexuality, and further establishes Abed as Troy’s truth when Troy himself cannot access it. Whenever Troy struggles with compulsory heterosexuality, Abed is there to pull Troy back towards self-acceptance. Romantic Expressionism is the first example of this, but Early 21st Romanticism in season two also shows Abed as the opponent to Troy’s comp het when Troy and Abed pursue Maria, but ultimately share an intimate moment alone after Troy leaves Maria for Abed. These two episodes create an interesting pattern: Troy and Abed share some of their most romantic moments when Troy is involved with women. But considering Abed’s role as the challenger to compulsory heterosexuality, it’s not surprising that straight love interests for Troy tend to bring out the deep love between Troy and Abed. Heterosexuality in a comp het narrative only serves to reinforce homosexuality, and Troy Barnes is certainly no exception. Despite the occasional straight love interest throughout the show, it’s clear by Troy’s interaction with Abed during his involvement with women that Troy’s deepest affections lie with Abed.

## Part Two: Troy’s Compulsory Heterosexuality + Troy’s Relationship with Britta

Where Troy and Abed fit together like complementary puzzle pieces, Troy and Britta are more like mirrors. In some ways, Troy and Britta understand each other. They both hide their dance lessons out of embarrassment, revealing that Troy and Britta both guard their true selves but still deeply crave emotional connection (1x14). They are both ridiculed by the study group, with Troy being penalized for his naivety and Britta being unfairly labeled as “the worst” for simply trying her best. And like Troy, Britta struggles to balance femininity and masculinity. She is loud and assertive, traditionally “masculine” traits, and Britta struggles to understand “girl things,” like going to the bathroom with other women (1x06). But despite these deep similarities, Troy and Britta have nearly nothing in common on the surface. Troy isn’t interested in politics nor psychology, and Britta has no time for Troy and Abed’s hijinks. Still, Troy and Britta bond through the study group and eventually form a very sweet friendship.

Troy and Britta’s romantic relationship, however, is textbook compulsory heterosexuality. While Troy grew out of some unhealthy habits in season one, comp het is constantly reinforced by society to maintain heteronormativity, and Troy is not immune. And considering Troy’s history of comp het and the platonic affection he feels for Britta, it’s not surprising that Troy falls into his old pitfall with her. Troy deeply cares for Britta, and he likely interprets his feelings as romantic, since romantic feelings for women are something he should be feeling in a heteronormative society. The mysteriously kind text Troy sends to discourage Britta’s attraction to Blade’s cruelty proves that Troy genuinely cares for Britta, and he shows this when he tells her “you’re not the worst. You’re the best (3x15, 3x18).” Their season three relationship works because they aren’t officially romantic, meaning Troy’s platonic affection for Britta is still enough to create a genuine connection.

When Troy and Britta begin to act as a couple instead of a friendship, however, Troy’s comp het stiffles their relationship and their chemistry disappears. Troy and Britta’s first episode as a couple only shows them arguing (4x01). In the Halloween episode, Jeff comments on Troy and Britta’s disconnect and implies that they don’t seem like a couple by saying “you need to do some things together.” Troy tries to counter, saying that they do “things,” but he can’t specify any further because he and Britta truly don’t act like a couple (4x02). They rarely hold hands or spend time together outside of sex, and despite tugging Britta into Inspector Spacetime (4x03, 4x04), Troy doesn’t make an effort to support Britta’s interests and endeavors in return. Troy is bored by Britta’s Sophie B. Hawkins Dance, and he rudely walks out on a conversation with Britta about their “phallo-centric” history professor (4x08, 4x10).

Troy and Britta are sweet friends because of their platonic affection towards each other, and Troy feels inclined to date her, since that’s how heteronormativity demands their relationship develop. But Troy does not have real romantic feelings for Britta. Troy has suffered from compulsory heterosexuality and toxic masculinity since season one. He has a long history of repressing his sexuality and only showing interest in women when other members of the study group are involved. In fact, Troy’s first date with Britta is entirely Annie’s idea, much like when Troy’s interest in Annie was Jeff and Britta’s idea (3x16, 1x15). His entire character arc in season one shows his battle to overcome these struggles, and he relapses in season four with Britta. Of course, Britta doesn’t seem very committed to their relationship either (she was relieved when they weren’t bonded together forever in the gluon chamber, and both Britta and Troy forgot their one year anniversary), but Troy’s utter lack of interest saps the chemistry from their relationship (4x03, 4x11). In contrast to his platonic affection towards Britta in season three, Troy spends most of his relationship with Britta ignoring her or avoiding her. While they make a great pair of friends, Troy and Britta’s romantic relationship is doomed from the beginning by comp het and Troy’s lack of interest. Troy doesn’t love Britta romantically, because he can’t, and his failed relationship with Britta only reinforces his character as a gay man struggling with compulsory heterosexuality.

## Part Three: Troy’s Relationship with Britta + Troy’s Relationship with Abed

Troy and Britta’s romantic relationship is certainly a shot to the heart for fans of Troy and Abed, especially for those who interpret Troy as gay (for Brittannie fans, Troy/Britta is also a disappointment). Despite all the cold, hard evidence pointing towards compulsory heterosexuality on Troy’s part, which only supports that Troy is gay, it’s likely the Community writers just wanted to absolve Troy of all homosexuality and thought a straight love interest would do the trick. And yet, whether accidental or purposeful, Troy and Britta’s relationship provides the perfect backdrop on which to further develop Troy and Abed’s love story. Troy’s interactions with Abed, _while_ in a relationship with Britta, only reveal the romantic nature of his relationship with Abed. Far from disproving Troy and Abed’s love for each other, Britta’s presence in Troy’s life forces Troy to examine his heart, desires, and priorities, all of which lead to Abed.

In season three, the romance between Troy and Abed is mostly conveyed by separating the two and examining how the characters react. When Troy is alone, or separated from Abed, Troy’s first priority is always returning to his other half. Unfortunately for Britta, Troy never seems as concerned about her. In fact, Troy interrupts his and Britta’s first date by calling Annie just to check in on Abed, despite only being separated from him for no more than a couple hours. While Troy and Britta later say they had a good time, their only scene together is more about Troy and Abed than Troy and Britta, which places greater emphasis on Troy’s relationship with Abed than his “romantic” interest (3x16). When Troy leaves for the AC Repair School, Abed is Troy’s last and longest goodbye, placing Abed, not Britta, as the most important person in Troy’s life (3x21). Once at the Repair School, Troy says “I miss my friends,” but then later singles out Abed, saying “I miss Abed so much,” again placing Abed above the rest of the study group. Meanwhile, Abed shuts himself inside the apartment and descends into Evil Abed to cope with Troy’s absence. In comparison, Britta mentions once that she misses Troy, and then spends the episode trying to therapize Abed. While this in no way means that Britta doesn’t care for Troy, the difference between her and Abed’s reactions reveals a deeper connection between Troy and Abed that is not present between Troy and Britta. When Troy returns at the end of the episode, he ignores Britta and goes to Abed first, hugging Britta afterwards almost as an afterthought (3x22). Abed is the last person Troy sees when he leaves, the first person he sees when he returns, and the only person he specifically thinks of while he’s gone, even though Britta is Troy’s love interest at the time. But because Britta is present as Troy’s love interest, and Abed still plays the role of the jilted lover instead of Britta, the narrative indicates that Abed is where Troy’s true romantic affections lie.

Even once Troy and Britta are officially dating, Troy’s priorities remain with Abed. Unlike their friendship, Troy and Britta’s relationship is overcome with conflict, most of which is caused by Abed’s importance in Troy’s life. Troy and Britta’s first plotline as a couple is an argument over Troy and Abed’s wishing tradition in the pool. Troy and Britta attempt to replicate the tradition, but Troy is unwilling to break Abed’s rules (4x01). In the next episode, Troy and Abed are the ones with a couples costume, not Troy and Britta. When Britta claims the group should “leave the couple’s costumes to the couples,” Jeff quips that Britta should “warn [her] boyfriend’s boyfriend” because Troy and Abed seem more like a couple that Troy and Britta do. Troy and Abed deny nothing (4x02). Indeed, the only real reminder that Troy and Britta are dating is that the two are sleeping together, but Troy even keeps this a secret from Abed, claiming Abed is “fragile” (4x03). However, Abed is no stranger to sex, so Troy’s refusal to tell Abed for fear of breaking him seems out of place, unless Troy’s reasons for not telling Abed are less about the fact that he and Britta are having sex and more about pretending their relationship is not as serious as it is. Troy and Abed have unspoken romantic feelings for each other, and Troy is preserving his undefined relationship with Abed by hiding the only thing that is truly indicative of his relationship with Britta. By Herstory of Dance, Troy is altogether ignoring Britta in favor of attempted hijinks with Abed, and when Troy abandons Britta at the Christmas party, he immediately goes to Abed (4x08, 4x10). Over and over again, Troy puts Abed first above his actual love interest, demonstrating that Abed is, and always has been, Troy’s utmost priority.

Conventions of Space and Time reveals Troy and Abed’s romantic feelings for each other through the parallel characters of Toby and Britta. The conflict begins when Abed contacts Toby, claiming he is “embracing change” and “expanding [his] social circle.” But when Abed bitterly reminds a confused Troy that he’s been too “busy having sex” to notice Abed’s new friend, it becomes clear that Abed feels Troy doesn’t need him anymore because Abed has been replaced by Britta. However, Britta is Troy’s love interest. If Abed sees her as his replacement, the narrative, from Abed’s perspective at least, becomes that Abed was Troy’s love interest as well. Abed equates his former role in Troy’s life to Britta’s new position as Troy’s girlfriend, implying that Abed felt his relationship with Troy was akin to dating. But with Britta in Troy’s life, Abed believes his and Troy’s relationship is over, leading him to reach out to Toby.

Toby parallels Britta, but from Troy’s point of view. In the same way Abed sees Britta as his replacement in Troy’s life, Troy sees Toby as his replacement in Abed’s life. This scares Troy, and he doesn’t understand why, until Britta tells him that Toby is trying to steal Troy’s “boyfriend.” Even as a joke, it hits home for Troy, as if he is realizing the deeper nature of his affection for Abed for the first time. Here, Britta is validating Abed’s feelings about the romantic position he plays (or used to play) in Troy’s life, and Troy’s actual girlfriend referring to Abed as Troy’s romantic partner has dire implications. Britta is constantly sidelined by Troy in favor of Abed, so Britta unfortunately knows the importance Abed holds for Troy. Troy on the other hand, doesn’t realize how important Abed is to him until Toby threatens to take Abed away. Toby is an obvious Troy stand-in for Abed, even down to the name - four letter first names sharing the letters T, O, and Y. Toby capitalizes on Abed’s grief by imitating Troy’s role in his life. Therefore, Toby is meant to replicate Troy’s relationship with Abed. So when Toby, as Troy’s replacement, calls himself Abed’s soulmate, the implications are clear. Troy and Abed aren’t just best friends, they’re _soulmates_. Britta as Troy’s replacement for Abed proves that Troy and Abed do love each other romantically, but Toby as Abed’s replacement for Troy proves that Troy and Abed are endgame. And it’s only fitting that upon Abed’s rescue, Troy and Abed are bonded forever in the gluon chamber, as an Inspector and his Constable should be.

Troy and Britta’s inevitable break up on their one year anniversary is symbolic of everything their relationship was and wasn’t. Troy and Britta don’t even remember their anniversary, but Troy does remember his three-year anniversary of watching Freaky Friday with Abed, once again showing how Troy prioritizes his relationship with Abed even over his relationship with his girlfriend. But Britta forgets too, and it’s clear their relationship is coming to an end. However, Abed breaks up with Britta as Troy, because Troy is too afraid to face the break up himself (4x11). The body switching is a sweet example of Troy and Abed’s close friendship, but the story itself is a mirror of Troy and Britta’s failed relationship. From the very first date, Abed is constantly in the middle of Troy and Britta, whether he knows it or not. Every point of conflict between Troy and Britta, from the couples costume, to the wishing fountain, to the Sophie B. Hawkins dance, is caused by Troy’s devotion to Abed and not Britta. Troy can’t be in a romantic relationship with Britta because he is in love with Abed. So when their relationship finally ends, Abed literally, and figuratively, breaks them up. In the connotation of the scene, Abed breaks up with Britta while pretending to be Troy. But when extending the metaphor, the denotation is that Troy and Britta break up because of Abed himself. Troy was always far too in love with Abed to ever have a successful relationship with anyone else, and that is why his relationship with Britta ultimately came to an end.

## Conclusion

Queerbating and homophobia are huge issues in media, and queer-coded characters are often given canon straight love interests in an attempt to hide underlying homosexuality. But if a character that shows clear signs of compulsory heterosexuality is given a straight love interest, that character only becomes more queer coded by reinforcing the narrative of comp het and repressed homosexuality. And in the case of Troy Barnes, all of his relationships with women prove futile, only further characterizing him as a gay man. Of course, these relationships may not have been overtly homophobic writing by Community’s show writers. But if placing Troy into poorly written relationships with women in order to absolve him of homosexuality was indeed the goal of Community’s writers, Troy’s rocky straight relationships may have been enough to convince the general viewer, if not for one incriminating mistake: Troy’s prevailing interest in Abed.

Throughout the show, Troy’s love for Abed becomes incontestable when he attempts relationships with women. Romantic Expressionism in season one shows Troy’s utter comp het oblivion to his love for Abed, because Troy declares that Abed is his “other half” even while flirting with Annie. And Early 21st Romanticism in season two shows Troy’s prevailing interest in Abed over women. Troy cannot understand why Maria would not want to be romantically involved with Abed, and is uncomfortable with her once Abed is out of the picture, but Troy’s Valentine’s Day does become a happy one once he’s reunited with Abed. Troy enjoys spending time with Abed pursuing Maria, but is unhappy once he actually has to spend romantic time alone with her, demonstrating that Troy was never in fact interested in Maria and was only ever interested in being with Abed. Together, these episodes develop a narrative of compulsory heterosexuality for Troy while showing his love for Abed. In both instances, Troy’s interest in women is not his own and is instead inspired by others. With Annie, it’s encouraged by Jeff and Britta, and with Maria, it’s a fun way to hang out with Abed. And once Troy is romantically involved with women, Abed becomes the only person he can think about. Troy engages with women out of compulsory heterosexuality, but any romantic involvement with women forces Troy to realize that Abed is the only person he truly wants. Troy can easily deny that his feelings for Abed are simply platonic when Troy has no other romantic relationship in his life. But once faced with an interested woman, Troy can no longer deny the affection he feels for Abed, and that shines through every time Troy chooses Abed over any other love interest.

Troy and Britta’s relationship develops this pattern into a season-long arc, reinforcing Troy’s pattern of falling for Abed the hardest when he should be falling for a woman. Troy is happy with Britta while they are just friends, and his relationship with Abed during season three can still be excused as platonic. But once Troy is supposed to love Britta romantically, Abed becomes his one true priority and desire. Much like the saying “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” Troy does not realize the true depth of his love for Abed until another love interest is introduced. Troy tries over and over again to date women, but always returns to Abed because his affection for Abed is stronger than the compulsory heterosexuality that pulls him away. And while Abed is established as the opponent to Troy’s comp het and toxic masculinity by exhibiting self-acceptance, Abed also becomes the opponent to comp het by becoming Troy’s true desire in the face of a forced straight love interest. When Troy falls victim to comp het, Abed is always the one to pull him back to himself, because Troy’s love for Abed is stronger than any feelings he could have for a woman. Therefore, far from detracting from Troy and Abed’s love story, Troy’s attempted relationships with women, including his year-long relationship with Britta, actually contribute to developing his romantic relationship with Abed by proving that Troy will never be able to love a woman in the way he loves Abed Nadir.

Even if Troy’s relationships with women were the show writers’ attempt to reverse Troy’s obvious queer code, their attempts were utterly subverted by Troy’s continued investment in Abed. And while Troy may just be a fictional character, Troy’s love for Abed is too strong for even the show writers to control. Community may have tried to straighten out the gay love story that is Troy and Abed, but they only ever succeeded in making it gayer, because not even bad writing can stand in the way of true love.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblrs that inspired this essay: nadir-barnes, emshyperfixations, buzzkiller, ourladyoftheundergroundd, acompulsiontocomeback, and aye-of-newt who published an essay on AO3 under aye_of_newt. Definitely go check it out. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! This is actually my first publication on AO3 so I'm kinda stoked. Come yell at me on tumblr @merely-indifferent


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